ABOUT THIS BOOKRussia had an extraordinary twentieth century, undergoing upheaval and transformation. Updating his acclaimed History of Twentieth-Century Russia through 2002, Robert Service provides a panoramic perspective on a country whose Soviet past encompassed revolution, civil war, mass terror, and two world wars. He shows how seven decades of communist rule, which penetrated every aspect of Soviet life, continue to influence Russia today. This new edition also discusses continuing economic and social difficulties at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the military campaign in Chechnya, and Russia's reduced role on the world stage.
REVIEWSA fine book...It is a dizzying tale and Service tells it well; he has none of the ideological baggage that has so often bedeviled Western histories of Russia...A balanced, dispassionate and painstaking account.
-- Brian Moynahan Sunday Times
A remarkable work...it demands to be read.
-- Adam Zamoyski Spectator
Always well-informed and balanced in his judgments, clear and concise in his analysis...Service is extremely good on Soviet politics.
-- Orlando Figes Sunday Telegraph